nyslfriends Chapter 760 - 670: Shadows of the Old Era
Chapter 760 - 670: Shadows of the Old Era
"Life Daylight can unconditionally support the matters concerning the simulation battle zone. However, the prerequisite is that if any whereabouts of the Life Staff are discovered, we must be informed at the first instance."
Thoughts whirled in Chichu Qiu’s eyes.
The Battle of Octopus Tower City was a deep scar the Chichu Family finds it hard to forget. That battle nearly drained the blood of the old generation and almost cut off the younger generation.
Before he took office, the five families of Chichu were always in turmoil, resulting in the Puppet Master’s massive web hanging over the five family lineages like a shroud.
Chichu Qiu faintly sensed the anomaly beneath the tranquil surface.
"Could Life Daylight explain why the Life Staff was left in Octopus Tower City?"
When Chichu Qiu asked this, he didn’t look at Li Liujin; his gaze remained on the girl in the butler uniform.
As the Cleaner, active on the battlefields of the old era, the person involved obviously knew more than this already naive Princess.
Feeling everyone’s gaze, the girl in the butler uniform was not surprised. She did not directly answer the question, instead silently looking towards Li Liujin.
In her view, Chichu Qiu and Li Liujin were almost the same, obviously not qualified to be in charge, far less formidable than those old foxes in the Chichu Family.
If the Puppet Master were truly foolish, the old men would not have let him live to this day. At least in terms of balance, the company dog adept at puppetry really had a knack for it. During that chaotic time, having him secretly liaise with the five families was the best choice.
It’s a pity that this young Patriarch still hasn’t figured it out till now.
The girl in the butler uniform thought.
Instead, her interest was piqued by Chichu Qiu’s teacher, Heigunji Temple, that mysterious army marshal who came from the shrine.
A priest from a shrine could climb to such a position.
"Lai Qing." Li Liujin also cast an inquiring look.
Li Liujin also wanted to know about the matter of the Life Staff back then.
Why does the Lai Qing, in whom she has the most trust, always seem deliberately or inadvertently hiding these things?
Seeing this, the girl in the butler uniform knew she couldn’t avoid it. She sighed helplessly.
Lai Wu, a name that should have been forgotten in the old era, she really didn’t want to recall.
Thoughts gradually began to surface.
...
The transport truck drove smoothly as the ruins gradually emerged from the vast earth in the distance. Looking ahead, the convoy proceeded on a rugged path, about to enter the city. Numerous broken buildings stood on the scorched earth left by warfare, with the late summer rain trickling down from the sky, casting an oppressive air over everything outside the car window.
Invisible shadows loomed over the battlefield. Under the oppressive sky, everything in the city appeared lifeless, cloaked in a gray filter.
"I say, can’t you stop fiddling with that broken sword?" An exasperated Lai Wu asked with a frown.
The young Ghost examined the blade on his knee, the backside of the sword reflecting his cold face.
"I don’t know why," Ghost said. "I just have a bad premonition."
"That unease comes from around us." He glanced at the armored vehicles trailing behind them through the rear-view mirror.
"What exactly are we transporting?"
"Does it matter?" Lai Wu pressed her neck.
"We do what these big companies tell us to do, do it well, get paid, and it’s no longer our concern."
"Isn’t that how we’ve always gotten by?"
Ghost said nothing, while the girl beside him shook her head, holding his hand and casting a concerned glance.
The girl was his fiancée, and likewise a Cleaner awarded by the association, named Curved Moon.
There were five members on this journey.
The brawny man in the corner of the carriage, resting with eyes closed, was Panyan. They had collaborated many times, and he left an impression of being steady and reticent. Lai Wu liked people who spoke less and did more; having one chatterbox in the team was enough. As for the remaining red-haired girl...
Her name was Chichu Hong, a member of the Special Sixth Class, part of the main family of Chichu Heaven. Lai Wu had heard of titles like Battlefield Rose and Ultimate Weapon linked to her, but today was the first meeting.
They said it was to meet and accompany the team for a certain distance, but Lai Wu preferred to believe that the Chichu Family was monitoring their movements.
"They say Chichu Celestial People always wear a poker face." Lai Wu held her head and said, "I don’t see it; they simply have no expression at all."
"Facing four renowned seniors, don’t you have anything to say?"
Chichu Hong glanced at her and, to Lai Wu’s surprise, spoke up.
"I want to say, thank you."
"Oh?"
Just as Lai Wu thought that this person had finally figured something out and wanted to hear some praises from Chichu Hong, the following words splashed cold water all over her.
"For dispelling the filter of admiration for the seniors."
"Utterly unremarkable."
After thinking for a moment, Chichu Hong added,
"Only applies personally."
"Pfft," Curved Moon chuckled softly.
Lai Wu smacked her lips, not making a scene, and turned her head on her own.
The stifling atmosphere in the carriage eased somewhat. Ghost held Curved Moon’s hand tightly, his gaze dropping, pausing for a moment at the girl’s slightly protruding abdomen before meeting her clear eyes again.
"Don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s just an ordinary commission, same as always."
Curved Moon’s gentle tone eased the unrest and agitation within Ghost’s heart.
Ghost hadn’t wanted to take on this commission, but the conditions promised by the company to them were
——the future.
Ghost had long been weary of the endless fighting and had thoughts of retiring. However, for those ensnared in the Vortex, how easy was it to extricate themselves?
Powerful strength? In the face of these colossal enterprises, an individual was ultimately insignificant. The forces he was tangled with were too numerous to count, even if he could ensure his own security, he could not guarantee the safety of those close to him.
Wealth, status, and items with extraordinary power all paled in comparison to the company’s promises of the future.
The future could be anything, offering the best living conditions, endless wealth, supreme status, or an environment where descendants need not struggle for survival.
The most advanced healthcare and education, his child could have the space to interact and grow with the best heirs of the family. This was what he yearned for.
The stronger he became, the more acutely he felt the sorrow of this era, where the soil of corporate colonization spread from politics to every aspect of ordinary life, growing so vast that it was hard to see its end. This reality could not simply be changed by a strong individual charging into a company headquarters.
He had to seize this opportunity,
to cross the threshold to the future.
"We’re here, boys," Lai Wu reminded as she leapt off the vehicle, a segment of her tachi drawn. Cold raindrops trickled down her face, accentuating the girl’s confident smile.
"Cargo first, lives second. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; if we screw this up, we’re done for."